FILE - President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal was dismissed by a federal judge Monday morning.
Trump sues Wall Street Journal
The backstory:
Trump filed the lawsuit in July, following up on a promise to sue the paper almost immediately after it put a new spotlight on his well-documented relationship with Epstein by publishing an article that described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper said bore Trump’s signature and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
Editor's note: The Wall Street Journal shares common ownership with Fox. Fox has not independently confirmed the truth of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting.
READ MORE: Trump files lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over story about Epstein birthday letter: Reports
Trump Epstein letter
Big picture view:
The Wall Street Journal reviewed the letter dated in 2003 which bears Donald Trump’s name and reportedly has several typewritten texts featuring an outline of a naked woman, sketched in marker.
The letter reportedly reads: "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret."
What they're saying:
Trump pledged to sue the Wall Street Journal over their story, saying: "These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures," the Associated Press reported.
Dig deeper:
The letter was subsequently released publicly by Congress, which subpoenaed the records from Epstein’s estate.
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Congress releases letter with alleged Trump signature
A letter with purportedly the signature of Donald Trump from the early 2000s on a 50th birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein was released by congress this week.
Lawsuit dismissed
Presently:
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint.
What they're saying:
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from an order filed in Florida, as obtained and reported on by The Associated Press. Background information was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.